Gossamer Forum
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Hotmail * TM
Just a little word of advice for gossamer-threads.....

I am not an expert on this but have had first hand experience on this topic.
I just wanted to let you guys know that sometimes you have to watch what you say on your web sites and even more because you design programs.

On the Products page you have this listed for your new Gossamer Mail

"Gossamer Mail is a web based email program that allows you to offer your visitors free email addresses just like Hotmail™. "

When you say "Just like Hotmail" you may be looking for trouble.
You are comparing your product with MSN's Hotmail and thats like Pepsi saying "Pepsi is just like Coke" and i am sure that Coke would act on that.

I myself made the mistake of writing something like that and ended up with a letter from a lawyer and a lot of telephone calls.

I dont want to see this site get into any trouble and i think that it is cool that programmers are building competitive programs but just BECARFUL on what you say when describing your program.
I am not sure if you have violated any copywrite with Hotmail but look into it or change the content of that blurb.

(thats just my experience and though!)

Keep up these great forums and its cool to see another Canadian out there, and in BC too. I am in Abby right now farting around on my snowboard for a few months at Mt Baker and this place ROCKS !!!

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Re: Hotmail * TM In reply to
There is a Brand-X law that allows fair product comparason and contrasting.

In Reply To:
When you say "Just like Hotmail" you may be looking for trouble.
You are comparing your product with MSN's Hotmail and thats like Pepsi saying "Pepsi is just like Coke" and i am sure that Coke would act on that.
To any letter I would reply -- by adding "Only Better" and then be in full compliance. You could claim you were better because you could be installed on your own server for a low cost.

Pepsi and Coke challenge each other all the time.

PUGDOG®
PUGDOG® Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ: http://LinkSQL.com/FAQ


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Re: more on this topic In reply to
I understand where you care coming from I could have been wrong but i still posted it just as something to think about. ( i am not law student )

But maybe someone could help me figure something else out related to this topic.

Patents, Patent Pending......?
I see sites out there with software they claim is Patented or has a Patent Pending. How true is that? If this was true then why would sites not patent their program ideas ?
An example of this would be at www.treeloot.com (look at the bottom of their page).
If i wanted to create a program like that and use it why could i not do such a thing ? I know that it has a Patent Pending but you need competition out there and if people could patent things like that then why did not yahoo patent the search engine and hotmail patent the web based email..

A little clarification on this topic would help me out a lot.

Thanx

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Re: more on this topic In reply to
Software patents are a truly bogus thing. I really wish the patent office would generate some common sense and remove them all. A patent is a specific, buildable, way to do something. Patents should apply to chips, trademarks and copyright to software.

Algorithms (ways of doing something) should not be patentable. Only the actual, specifically defined way of doing it. "One click checkout" is a prime exammple. "hyperlinks" is becoming another.

Logic left this system long agon, and it's due and bound to collapse under it's own illogic and ineptitudes.



PUGDOG®
PUGDOG® Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ: http://LinkSQL.com/FAQ


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Re: more on this topic In reply to
Speaking of patents...you do know that Amazon has "patented" their "Affiliate Partners" program, right?

;)

Regards,

Eliot Lee
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Re: more on this topic In reply to
I don't know if you know, but a girl here in the UK has discovered a way to encrypt data much quicker than was thought possible and she has patented the code and is set to become a billionaire because of it.

Paul Wilson. Shocked
(Dont blame me if I'm wrong!)
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Re: Hotmail * TM In reply to
As long as they have the trade marked logo next to the Hotmail brand name, there is no reason as to why they can't use the Hotmail name. It's not like it's illegal to type their name........lol

I've seen commercials by burger king that say they are much better value than McDonalds.

.....and Gossamer-Mail IS like Hotmail so they arent lying or anything!

Paul Wilson. Shocked
(Dont blame me if I'm wrong!)
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Re: Hotmail * TM In reply to
So you are saying that the girl patented the code and not the idea. Anyone else in the world can figure our how to do the same and take advantage of that right ?

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Re: Hotmail * TM In reply to
Im not sure about what she patented or copyrighted etc......but basically even if I gave you the next 100 years to work on it, you ain't gonna come up with anything to challenge it!

Paul Wilson. Shocked
(Dont blame me if I'm wrong!)
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Re: Hotmail * TM In reply to
i was not meaning i was going to do the crypt work. I was giving an example.. If someone else could figure it out they are allowed to distribute their product.

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Re: Hotmail * TM In reply to
I know I was kidding........

I think with something so important they took necessary steps to stop someone copying the code but they cant stop someone using another method to encrypt even quicker.

Paul Wilson. Shocked
(Dont blame me if I'm wrong!)